Latino Bashing, What would you do?

If you're like most people, ABC's John Quiñones learned, you'll do nothing.

Yep, Nada! Zippo!

Our reasons for inaction are, of course, pathetic. For example, one man's excuse was that the victim wasn't bleeding enough. Really! Another--a Latino--feared that the gang would target him. But even a group of young men chose to do shuffle away -- shoulders slumped in apparent shame.

Redeeming humanity were a few valiant individuals. Some called 911 as they watched from a distance. But a few took direct action. One was a solidly built African American man took immediate action to stop the violence by taking on the thugs. He told Quiñones he simply couldn't let happen to others what had once happened to him.
Another hero was a Latina who jumped out of her SUV, putting her small frame between the thugs and victim. A third was again a woman who sought to comfort the victim with a hug and a prayer.

Watching the bravery and compassion of the heroes was very touching -- they are very special people. But knowing most would do nothing to stop a racist gang attack on a Latino immigrant is very disturbing.

Hate Rising: 926 Groups

Hate group activity in the U.S. was disturbing and widespread throughout 2008, as the number of hate groups operating in America continued to rise. Last year, 926 hate groups were active in the U.S., up more than 4% from 888 in 2007.

That's more than a 50% increase since 2000, when there were 602 groups.

As in recent years, hate groups were animated by the national immigration debate. But two new forces also drove them in 2008: the worsening recession, and Barack Obama's successful campaign to become the nation's first black president.

Links:
The Year in Hate: Number of Hate Groups Tops 900
The Impending Perfect Wingnut Hate Storm

I.C.E. Took My Father

The Carreño family, from San Francisco's Mission District, was torn apart when the patriarch Refugio was deported and his wife Lupe was put under surveillance -- the incident activated their chronically ill, 15 year old daughter, Lupe.



More

Photo: Lupe Carreño

Pat Buchanan Spews Anti-Latino Bigotry: 'Hispanics America's Biggest Threat

No joke!

'Hispanics' says racist baiter extraordinaire Patrick Buchanan are the biggest threat to the survival of the United States of America. We're a bigger threat, he warns, than even those dastardly Muslims in the Iraq and Kabul.

Question: We know why FOX keeps a stable of racists pontificators, but what's MSNBC's deal? Why possible good does it do MSNBC and its parent company GE to provide this very sick and harmful man on pay and airtime?

I will say though that at least Buchanan is an 'honest' racist. Unlike his brothers-in-hate, Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rushbo, Buchanan doesn't pretend that his deep anti-Latino animus is really just concern about "illegal" immigration.

But again, doesn't MSNBC have professional journalistic standards regarding who they put on the air? If not, I hear that David Dukes would love a slot.

Sidebar: Buchanan was a pr flack for disgraced President 'Tricky' Dick Nixon--a documented racist as well--who's administration is credited with originating the label Hispanic.
As Bill Santiago says about Hispanic, "It has that word 'panic in it". He adds, "It's more of a warning label than an ethnic category. It sounds too much like Titanic, Satanic, Mechanic!"

Estadounidenses of Latin American heritage, how about a more authentic descriptor? I prefer Latino -- although Americano is intriguing. No? ;)

Anti-Immigrant Hate Crimes: Nativist Murders Suggest Effect of Rhetoric

[Marcelo] Lucero's murder caused many people to suggest that the Long Island county's recent acrimonious debates over local immigration laws and Latino day laborers had created a climate that fostered the violence. The killing followed FBI reports of a nationwide 40% rise in anti-Latino hate crime violence between 2003 and 2007, a period marked by ugly rhetoric from hundreds of nativist groups and politicians. Jack Levin, a hate crime expert at Northeastern University, said such demonizing speech often leads to hate crimes.

"Racist rhetoric and dehumanizing images inspire violence," Levin told the Intelligence Report.

County Executive Steve Levy came under particularly concentrated fire after he said that if Lucero had been killed in adjacent Nassau County, "it would be a one-day story." Since taking office in 2004, Levy had, among other measures aimed at immigrants, signed a measure to bar undocumented workers from being hired by county contractors and county licensees, and he clashed often with Long Island pro-immigrant activists.

SPLCenter's Full Article

Zack de la Rocha & 5,000 Arizonans' Peaceful Rage Against Racist Sheriff Arpaio

No Human is Illegal was one of the messages at the recent demonstration against Maricopa County's anti-immigrant, racist Sheriff Arpaio that drew some 5,000 protesters. One of the leaders of the action was Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha.

Links:
Phoenix television clip with de la Rocha interview
Arpaio Blog

Nezua & Weekly Immigration Wire: A Cry for Change from Coast to Coast

Nezua (The Unapologetic Mexican) introduces his latest project, The Media Consortium's Weekly Immigration Wire, an aggregation of the week's best news stories in progressive new media.

What's refreshing about the venture is that Nezua is authentic and believable -- and immigration--or the movement of people--one of the 21st Century's foremost challenges.

American Children Sue to Stop the Deportation of Their Mom

Question: How is arresting and deporting the mother of two young American children good for the children, the mother, this country or the country she's dumped in? It's immoral. It's inhumane. It's costly. It may be unconstitutional. And it's plain stupid.

Today, some 3 million American children are vulnerable to to just horrors.

Adults won't do anything about this gross injustice, so it's up to the kids.

When in December immigration agents picked up Maricela Soza in Pompano Beach, her two children took up the fight to keep their family intact.

Cecia, 12, and Ronald Jr., 9, are among more than 600 youths from across the country poised to participate in a lawsuit that aims to stop the government from deporting parents of children who are U.S. citizens.

Nice family values, America.

Link
Photos

Brockton Racist on Killing Spree

Prosecutors allege that Keith Luke, 22, hatched his plan of racial vengeance months ago with the goal of slaughtering as many “Jews, blacks and Hispanics” as he could.

Cops piece together chilling details of tragedy (Jessica Fargen, Boston Herald)

• Luke knocks on the door at 103 Clinton St. at 12:20 p.m., armed with a 9 mm gun and a backpack containing a hammer, two pairs of handcuffs, a mouth gag and blindfold. He is allegedly intent on killing 20-year-old Selma Goncalves, his former neighbor.


• Selma’s older sister answers the door. Luke allegedly pulls the 9 mm from his sweatshirt pocket and forces his way inside. He handcuffs the woman and allegedly rapes her for 20 to 25 minutes.


• Selma returns home and bangs on the door.


• Luke gets dressed, grabs his gun and answers the door. He tries to pull Selma inside, but she resists and runs away.


• He allegedly shoots her several times in the back as she flees.


• Selma’s sister is kneeling on the floor, holding a large, stuffed white teddy bear. Luke allegedly fires several times and bullets rip through the teddy bear and into the woman’s chest.


• Selma runs outside and collapses.


• Luke retreats to his black van, parked outside, and reloads.


• He leans out the window and allegedly fires three to four shots at a “non-white” man who is tending to Selma before he speeds off.


• Luke sees a 72-year-old homeless man pushing a carriage on Clinton Street and pulls over. He walks up to the man and allegedly shoots him point-blank in the face as the man holds up his hand to protect himself. He allegedly shoots the man again in the back as he flees.


• Luke continues to drive down the street, allegedly looking for other non-whites to kill as a police chase ensues. He allegedly shoots at two police officers before crashing into several cars. He flees on foot.


• He tries to cock the gun as he runs before lying down on East Ashland Street and surrendering.

Links:
Photo series - BostonHerald

Video: Murder Scene 1 - 1/23/09

Video: Capture Scene - 1/23/09

Video of DA Timonthy Cruz' press conference 1/23/09

Video: Arraignment - 1/24/09

Brockton woman killed by gunman remembered for warmth, sense of humor

Cape Verdean mother of shooting victim to attend funeral

Slain man, 72, 'never bothered a soul'

Cops piece together chilling details of tragedy

‘I can still see her dancing’ says friend of Brockton victim

Suspect in Brockton slayings intent on carnage, police say

Prosecutor: Brockton suspect planned ‘mass murder’

Keith Luke Tried to Save the White Race

Accused Gunman Targeted 'Non-Whites,' Jews In Spree

Accused killer's father threatens cops, committed for treatment

City leaders decry hate crime at Brockton peace rally

Video: Brockton's Rabbi Joshua Cohen Speaks Out Against Hate

Robb Pearson: Confessions of a Former Anti-Latino Immigrant Activist

After a well-publicized change of heart, Robb Pearson, former anti-Latino immigration activist and blogger, is working to promote compassion and common humanity as a framework for the immigration issue and other issues.

Recently, Pearson sat down with 9500Liberty to discuss his conversion. Here' the interview in two parts:

Part 1: The seduction of intolerance - "We don't like "illegal" immigrants. Most "illegals" are Hispanic. Therefore, we don't like Hispanics."


Part 2: "Racism is an issue with the anti-immigrant lobby...I finally got to see the human face of the issue I had been against...I came to the realization that this isn't about politics. This isn't even about immigration. It's about our common humanity."


Links:
Robb Pearson's Opening Speech
Hate Society Claims Morristown